Durham Pals selection pick up

[mooke07]

Hi all,

A recent pick up housed in a Christmas 1914 Princess Mary Gift Fund soldiers tin (as was my Granda’s). Cloth 18th Service Battalion, Lord Durham Pals of the 93rd Brigade, 31st Division red on green battalion rectangular patches worn by all ranks on the upper arm and diagonally bisected white and red square patch worn on the RHS of the sun helmet in Egypt and on the back of the tunic under the collar together with metal two part shoulder titles (two RHS bugles), a DLI WM cap badge and BM West Yorkshire (Bradford Pals) cap badge, WW2 era Warrant officer rank badge and WW1 German button.

The cloth patches nicely described in David Bilton's excellent book 'The Badges of Kitchener's Army' and on catalogue cards from my WW1 battalion patch album.

The stories they could tell and of course I consider that the wearer may well have been known by Sgt Chas. H. Moss, C Company Lord Durham Pals, my Granda.

Best regards Dean

[mooke07]

The rear of the cap badges - note the shape of the slider on the Durham's cap badge.

[MH331]

Great find a real time capsule.

[Alex Rice]

Originally Posted by mooke07

The rear of the cap badges - note the shape of the slider on the Durham's cap badge.

And the lack of detail on the back. Interesting grouping.
Cheers,
Alex

[slick_mick]

Very nice Dean! A great pickup!

Mick

[mooke07]

Thanks all and after finding my Granda’s bombers arm badge in his shoe cleaning tin with his shoulder titles I am still amazed as to what can be found 100 years later.

Cheers Dean

[Mike B]

Exceptional! Great context and fabulous that they have remained together like that for over a century
Mike

[mooke07]

Yes indeed Mike and I completely forgot to note as I had intended the overseas chevron for four years 1915-1918 so the wearer saw out the war in the field. The Durham Pals went through quite a campaign post their attack on Serre on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Many of Granda’s then surviving Pals were killed on the attack on Oppy Windmill etc. PBI.

They were a generation of courage, cheers Dean.